SECOND LORD.If your lordship find him not a hilding, hold me no more in yourrespect.

FIRST LORD.On my life, my lord, a bubble.

BERTRAM.Do you think I am so far deceived in him?

FIRST LORD.Believe it, my lord, in mine own direct knowledge, without anymalice, but to speak of him as my kinsman, he's a most notablecoward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker,the owner of no one good quality worthy your lordship'sentertainment.

SECOND LORD.It were fit you knew him; lest, reposing too far in his virtue,which he hath not, he might at some great and trusty business, ina main danger fail you.

BERTRAM.I would I knew in what particular action to try him.

SECOND LORD.None better than to let him fetch off his drum, which you hearhim so confidently undertake to do.

FIRST LORD.I with a troop of Florentines will suddenly surprise him; such Iwill have whom I am sure he knows not from the enemy; we willbind and hoodwink him so that he shall suppose no other but thathe is carried into the leaguer of the adversaries when we bringhim to our own tents. Be but your lordship present at hisexamination; if he do not, for the promise of his life, and inthe highest compulsion of base fear, offer to betray you, anddeliver all the intelligence in his power against you, and thatwith the divine forfeit of his soul upon oath, never trust myjudgment in anything.

SECOND LORD.O, for the love of laughter, let him fetch his drum; he says hehas a stratagem for't: when your lordship sees the bottom of hissuccess in't, and to what metal this counterfeit lump of ore willbe melted, if you give him not John Drum's entertainment, yourinclining cannot be removed. Here he comes.

FIRST LORD.O, for the love of laughter, hinder not the honour of his design:let him fetch off his drum in any hand.

PAROLLES.But a drum! Is't but a drum? A drum so lost! — There was excellentcommand! to charge in with our horse upon our own wings, and torend our own soldiers.

SECOND LORD.That was not to be blamed in the command of the service; it was adisaster of war that Caesar himself could not have prevented, ifhe had been there to command.

BERTRAM.Well, we cannot greatly condemn our success: some dishonour wehad in the loss of that drum; but it is not to be recovered.

PAROLLES.It might have been recovered.

BERTRAM.It might, but it is not now.

PAROLLES.It is to be recovered: but that the merit of service is seldomattributed to the true and exact performer, I would have thatdrum or another, or hic jacet.

BERTRAM.Why, if you have a stomach, to't, monsieur, if you think yourmystery in stratagem can bring this instrument of honour againinto his native quarter, be magnanimous in the enterprise, and goon; I will grace the attempt for a worthy exploit; if you speedwell in it, the duke shall both speak of it and extend to youwhat further becomes his greatness, even to the utmost syllableof your worthiness.

PAROLLES.By the hand of a soldier, I will undertake it.

BERTRAM.But you must not now slumber in it.

PAROLLES.I'll about it this evening: and I will presently pen down mydilemmas, encourage myself in my certainty, put myself into mymortal preparation; and, by midnight, look to hear further fromme.

BERTRAM.May I be bold to acquaint his grace you are gone about it?

PAROLLES.I know not what the success will be, my lord, but the attempt Ivow.

BERTRAM.I know thou art valiant; and, to the possibility of thysoldiership, will subscribe for thee. Farewell.